A nice game of Vampire:TM?

Imperial Overlord · Post by **Imperial Overlord** » 2006-12-28 07:16pm

Setting (and plot hooks) are beginning to gel. I'll have something in few days to present to the group. That's why I'm discussing mechanics (which includes character creation) now.

Eris · Post by **Eris** » 2006-12-28 07:17pm

General Zod wrote:Personally I'm a fan of limiting mechanics to combat and technical feats, while simply letting social abilities represent how you should act IC without necessarily needing rolls for that.

That said, should we wait until there's some type of setting layout before the game starts so things are a bit more cohesive and not quite so randomized in character creation?

Me too.

That is to say, I likewise prefer a fairly dice-light game. It slows things down, especially in a PBEM or forum game, and also takes the emphasis away from roleplay. It's much much more interesting to try to roleplay getting information out of a reluctant contact than it is to roll a die to see if you succeed. Combat of course is trickier, due to issues of fairness, but for the most part the fewer dice the better, in my opinion. Like Zod said, we can keep the numbers for ballpark estimates for how a character ought to be rped to make GMing easier and godmodding easier to spot, but otherwise just let people wing it. I'm a character development whore.

I too am interested in what's being plotted setting-wise. I've been in a creative mood so have enough interesting character ideas I can afford to slant them towards cohesion.

Mark S · Post by **Mark S** » 2006-12-28 07:57pm

Personally, I think in a forum setting like this, the fewer dice the better. Anything that actually has to get rolled should be done by the GM or you'll soon notice not one botched roll and a hell of a lot of tens right when they're needed the most. Not that I don't trust everyone, but well...

Post by **LadyTevar** » 2006-12-28 08:59pm

Mark S wrote:Personally, I think in a forum setting like this, the fewer dice the better. Anything that actually has to get rolled should be done by the GM or you'll soon notice not one botched roll and a hell of a lot of tens right when they're needed the most. Not that I don't trust everyone, but well...

Let's be honest. Who hasn't fudged a die roll in a game before?

I'm going to be a 'maybe' until I see what ImpOv has in mind for the setting.

Civil War Man · Post by **Civil War Man** » 2006-12-28 11:02pm

LadyTevar wrote:Let's be honest. Who hasn't fudged a die roll in a game before?

The only intentional roll fudging I've ever done is while rolling up a D&D character when the DM isn't personally overseeing each one. But even then, my fudging consists of rerolling bad stat sets until I get a decent one. And even then, I don't do the fucking stupid "reroll until you get 6 18s" thing. I usually shoot for lowest stat being 8-10, with highest stat being 16-18, and the rest falling in that range.

Then there's the unintentional roll fudging of me cackling gleefully as I wrap my claws around a pile of d10s, scatter them across the table, then realize that I accidentally picked up a couple extra. Something about rolling 11 dice at difficulty 8 to have my Glasswalker child of Clashing Boom Boom shoot a bullet down the barrel of someone else's gun really stimulates my Nerd Gland.

Mark S · Post by **Mark S** » 2006-12-29 02:04am

LadyTevar wrote:Let's be honest. Who hasn't fudged a die roll in a game before?

True enough, but you just know someone's going to go too far and everyone else is going to get pissed.

I'm going to be a 'maybe' until I see what ImpOv has in mind for the setting.

What DO you have in mind IO?

Imperial Overlord · Post by **Imperial Overlord** » 2006-12-29 02:35am

Mark S wrote:
I'm going to be a 'maybe' until I see what ImpOv has in mind for the setting.
What DO you have in mind IO?

Nothing yet. I do have plot threads, but not location. I'll probably get location and a skeleton crew of NPCs within the next couple of days.

Imperial Overlord · Post by **Imperial Overlord** » 2006-12-29 02:49am

Location wise I'm leaning to someplace in the northeast or southwest of North America, as it will give the Lasombra antitribu a good reason to be there, but really its still up in the air for the moment. If people have suggestions, I'll by all means consider them.

Eris · Post by **Eris** » 2006-12-29 03:45am

Imperial Overlord wrote:Location wise I'm leaning to someplace in the northeast or southwest of North America, as it will give the Lasombra antitribu a good reason to be there, but really its still up in the air for the moment. If people have suggestions, I'll by all means consider them.

Heh, I mention them once and it becomes certain we'll have one. Fear my power.

That said, I wouldn't mind playing one; I absolutely adore the Lasombra. Although in this case, despite the valid point of dibs being absurd and there being no limit on how many of one clan could be played, I would abstain here if someone else desired to have a go. They are rare enough that my sense of "realism" (such as it can be called that) would never forgive me. And I'm not short for interesting character ideas at present, so not playing one would not be a large inconvenience ot me.

Imperial Overlord · Post by **Imperial Overlord** » 2006-12-29 03:58am

If there were two Lasombra antitribu, it could work if they were both in town for the same reason, but that would involve compatable backstories.

Post by **The Yosemite Bear** » 2006-12-29 06:52am

LadyTevar wrote:
Mark S wrote:Personally, I think in a forum setting like this, the fewer dice the better. Anything that actually has to get rolled should be done by the GM or you'll soon notice not one botched roll and a hell of a lot of tens right when they're needed the most. Not that I don't trust everyone, but well...
Let's be honest. Who hasn't fudged a die roll in a game before?

I'm going to be a 'maybe' until I see what ImpOv has in mind for the setting.

yeah for that reason I prefer GM controled Dice determinations.

Dahak · Post by **Dahak** » 2006-12-29 11:40am

Well, I have a liking for Lasombra and Tremere. I'd like to use my Tremere character from the other, short-lived game, but I could also try a Lasombra.

Mark S · Post by **Mark S** » 2006-12-29 12:46pm

Dahak wrote:Well, I have a liking for Lasombra and Tremere. I'd like to use my Tremere character from the other, short-lived game, but I could also try a Lasombra.

The one from the other short-lived game?

Mark S · Post by **Mark S** » 2006-12-29 12:52pm

Imperial Overlord wrote:Nothing yet. I do have plot threads, but not location. I'll probably get location and a skeleton crew of NPCs within the next couple of days.

Well, you could always use Vancouver. Large enough to support a good Vampire population, close to mountian wilderness if you want to get nasty werewolf style, and with a large enough asian population that the Cathay would definitely be there if you wanted to use them.

But then, it's definitely not northeast or southwest.

Eris · Post by **Eris** » 2006-12-29 12:58pm

Mark S wrote:Well, you could always use Vancouver. Large enough to support a good Vampire population, close to mountian wilderness if you want to get nasty werewolf style, and with a large enough asian population that the Cathay would definitely be there if you wanted to use them.

But then, it's definitely not northeast or southwest.

Supposing that he did use Vancouver and wanted to use the official fluff, the werewolf issue would get extremely interesting.

As of the last iteration I'm familiar with, vampires and werewolves actually have a truce there, if an extremely strained and edgy one. It also has a bunch of rather strange rules enforced by the Prince, mostly in regards to maintaining that truce. The city to my knowledge was plotted out with cross-system campaigns in mind.

General Zod · Post by **General Zod** » 2006-12-29 01:05pm

Mark S wrote:
Imperial Overlord wrote:Nothing yet. I do have plot threads, but not location. I'll probably get location and a skeleton crew of NPCs within the next couple of days.
Well, you could always use Vancouver. Large enough to support a good Vampire population, close to mountian wilderness if you want to get nasty werewolf style, and with a large enough asian population that the Cathay would definitely be there if you wanted to use them.

But then, it's definitely not northeast or southwest.

Or we could try and avoid crossover altogether. Having had several bad experiences a crossover game is something I typically make it a point to avoid nowadays.

Dahak · Post by **Dahak** » 2006-12-29 01:19pm

Mark S wrote:
Dahak wrote:Well, I have a liking for Lasombra and Tremere. I'd like to use my Tremere character from the other, short-lived game, but I could also try a Lasombra.
The one from the other short-lived game?

It was the one in the Brotherhood-sub-forum, Bloodhunt IIRC. The one you hosted. Sadly only 6 pages before it died...

Mark S · Post by **Mark S** » 2006-12-29 06:03pm

General Zod wrote:Or we could try and avoid crossover altogether. Having had several bad experiences a crossover game is something I typically make it a point to avoid nowadays.

Sure enough.

I totally agree. I was more just throwing things in the air as to the dynamics of the city, not that they needed to be integral to the plot.

Post by **The Yosemite Bear** » 2006-12-29 08:31pm

which I pulled out of.

Then again I wanted to use my WoD for Gurps rules Psi-vampire/spirit talker guy so it was probably a good thing I pulled out.

Imperial Overlord · Post by **Imperial Overlord** » 2006-12-29 09:13pm

Well I live in Vancouver.

Any non-Kindred supernaturals will be npcs. An if I go with Vancouver, it definitely won't be the official one. Garou and Vampire peace treaties? Bahh. Although having it as a sect neutral city, if I go there, might be retained.

SirNitram · Post by **SirNitram** » 2006-12-29 09:16pm

Imperial Overlord wrote:Well I live in Vancouver. Any non-Kindred supernaturals will be npcs. An if I go with Vancouver, it definitely won't be the official one. Garou and Vampire peace treaties? Bahh. Although having it as a sect neutral city, if I go there, might be retained.

Garou-Kindred peace treaties are roughly defined as 'If you don't fuck with our Caern or our interests, we won't go Crinos on your asses'. The whole idea baffles me; Werewolves operate on a reality-saving level. The Kindred are just there to be mopped up later, in their view.

Imperial Overlord · Post by **Imperial Overlord** » 2006-12-29 09:36pm

SirNitram wrote:
Garou-Kindred peace treaties are roughly defined as 'If you don't fuck with our Caern or our interests, we won't go Crinos on your asses'. The whole idea baffles me; Werewolves operate on a reality-saving level. The Kindred are just there to be mopped up later, in their view.

Well you have to understand in the "normal" Vancouver, the prince of Vancouver is something like a 2,000 year old 5th Generation Vampire (and this was back in 2nd edition when Garou were easier to take in combat) with a mammoth amount of points in Disciplines. Spanking a Crisnos is easy for him.

Werewolves with vampire enemies have problems of their own. Being badass in Crinos doesn't prevent a ghoul from empting an automatic into your much more squishy human form when you get up to grab the morning paper.

SirNitram · Post by **SirNitram** » 2006-12-29 09:58pm

Imperial Overlord wrote:
SirNitram wrote:
Garou-Kindred peace treaties are roughly defined as 'If you don't fuck with our Caern or our interests, we won't go Crinos on your asses'. The whole idea baffles me; Werewolves operate on a reality-saving level. The Kindred are just there to be mopped up later, in their view.
Well you have to understand in the "normal" Vancouver, the prince of Vancouver is something like a 2,000 year old 5th Generation Vampire (and this was back in 2nd edition when Garou were easier to take in combat) with a mammoth amount of points in Disciplines. Spanking a Crisnos is easy for him.

Werewolves with vampire enemies have problems of their own. Being badass in Crinos doesn't prevent a ghoul from empting an automatic into your much more squishy human form when you get up to grab the morning paper.

An admittably problem, yes. But don't ever let the rest of the Pack realize you gunned down one of them.

Post by **LadyTevar** » 2006-12-29 10:24pm

IF there is a LaSombra, I would prefer a very mature roleplayer handle them. They are a clan that can be wanked as easy and often as the Tremere.

Vancouver, hmm? Nice place for a Gangrel. Are we playing the 2nd or 3rd Ed, since the Gangrel told the Cam to go fuck themselves after Ravnos fell?

Imperial Overlord · Post by **Imperial Overlord** » 2006-12-30 07:01am

SirNitram wrote: An admittably problem, yes. But don't ever let the rest of the Pack realize you gunned down one of them.

It's much easier to for Kindred to find out where Garou live than visa-versa, but if the Garou do know where you live and its not fortified like a Tzimisce eldar's manse, you're boned. I remember abandoning the pack's shiny new haven when one of our packmates let a Garou follow him home one night. We were gone before daylight and very paranoid for the next couple of nights.

But enough on that. Anyone playing a Tremere will answer to the House and Clan and will be accountable to them, make no mistake. Lasombra antitribu will be accountable to their sires, not an entire clan, but their sires will be paranoid prefectionists. And I will arbitrary waste silly Malkavians. You want to play one of those clans, you will do a good job of it or you will not be long for the game.

And since I'll be doing the dice rolling, elite munchkin prowess will not save you. RPing well and contributing to the quality of the game on the other hand will out my merciful side.